The Tampa Bay Estuary Program – in cooperation with the Hillsborough Cooperative Extension Service and Shooting Stars Post, has produced a 20-minute video showing homeowners how to safely remove invasive trees, shrubs and vines from their own home landscapes.

The video provides identification tips for commonly found invasive plants in the Tampa Bay watershed, including Brazilian pepper, air potato, skunk vine and carrotwood. It also provides step-by-step demonstrations on removal techniques for the plants. Proper use of effective chemical herbicides and safety equipment for applying them is also discussed.

TBEP and its partners encourage homeowners to remove invasive plants from their own yards, because they can spread seeds to nearby wildlands, where the plants can quickly take over natural areas, muscling out native plants and reducing the ecological health and diversity of these areas.

This video is part of TBEP’s Video Lending Library and is available in both VHS and DVD format. To borrow “Wicked Weeds,” please e-mail nanette@tbep.org and provide your name, address and a phone number. Videos may be borrowed for free for up to one month, and TBEP pays all postage fees.